I have read many fictionalized versions of the Biblical end of the world, from the Left Behind series of books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins to The Christ Clone Trilogy by James BeauSeigneur.  Some I have enjoyed, others not so much.  The approach used by “The Book of Joseph” by Erik Rise is an innovative and definitely enjoyable adaptation on the end of times, a more zombified version.

The story begins in the days of the Roman Empire. A zombie horde has overrun a Roman garrison in England, forcing Jesus’ father Joseph and two Roman soldiers to barricade themselves into a secure room.  During the course of the discussion between the men, Joseph discovers the reason for the flesh eaters was a flask belonging to his stepson being left open for a short time.   The story then jumps back to modern days where a construction crews preparing the 2012 Olympic Stadium unearths an archaeological site.  A manuscript removed from the site is later revealed as The Book of Joseph, a gospel of Jesus’ life that paints a different picture than the testaments in the traditional Bible.  Once news of this new book breaks out, people begin having flashes of their lineage, all tracing back to the original Apostles.   At the same time, during the closing ceremony of the Olympics, Jesus’ flask is knocked to the ground by the vibrations caused by the crowd stomping where it shatters.  A dust is then sucked into a nearby air vent and is then dispersed throughout the stadium.  One week later, those at the closing ceremonies begin turning and anarchy reigns.

As a zombie story, I enjoyed it immensely.  There was enough carnage and mayhem to keep me riveted to the story to the end.  It didn’t go too over the top in the violence caused by the zombies, at least from a Romero standpoint.  I also liked the reason behind the zombie hunger and how the author depicted the Four Horsemen from the Bible.  Fans of zombie fiction will enjoy this story.  The only parts I disliked about the story were the more theological aspects of the story, however, that is more from a difference in theological opinion.

While I don’t expect non-horror loving Christians to add this story to their shopping carts, I do think fans of apocalypse and zombie stories will find the story a fun read.  My rating for this one a 3.95 out of 5,

You can order The Book of Joseph through through your local bookstore or via Amazon.  It is well worth checking out.

As always, if you want to leave a comment, please do so below.  Let me know your opinion  and feel free to share mine with your friends, family, and yes, even your enemies.  I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and via e-mail at dpitsiladis@gmail.com.

And remember… Why so serious?

DLP

I have read many fictionalized versions of the Biblical end of the world, from the Left Behind series of books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins to The Christ Clone Trilogy by James BeauSeigneur.  Some I have enjoyed, others not so much.  The approach used by “The Book of Joseph” by Erik Rise is an innovative and definitely enjoyable adaptation on the end of times, a more zombified version.

The story begins in the days of the Roman Empire. A zombie horde has overrun a Roman garrison in England, forcing Jesus’ father Joseph and two Roman soldiers to barricade themselves into a secure room.  During the course of the discussion between the men, Joseph discovers the reason for the flesh eaters was a flask belonging to his stepson being left open for a short time.   The story then jumps back to modern days where a construction crews preparing the 2012 Olympic Stadium unearths an archaeological site.  A manuscript removed from the site is later revealed as The Book of Joseph, a gospel of Jesus’ life that paints a different picture than the testaments in the traditional Bible.  Once news of this new book breaks out, people begin having flashes of their lineage, all tracing back to the original Apostles.   At the same time, during the closing ceremony of the Olympics, Jesus’ flask is knocked to the ground by the vibrations caused by the crowd stomping where it shatters.  A dust is then sucked into a nearby air vent and is then dispersed throughout the stadium.  One week later, those at the closing ceremonies begin turning and anarchy reigns.

As a zombie story, I enjoyed it immensely.  There was enough carnage and mayhem to keep me riveted to the story to the end.  It didn’t go too over the top in the violence caused by the zombies, at least from a Romero standpoint.  I also liked the reason behind the zombie hunger and how the author depicted the Four Horsemen from the Bible.  Fans of zombie fiction will enjoy this story.  The only parts I disliked about the story were the more theological aspects of the story, however, that is more from a difference in theological opinion.

While I don’t expect non-horror loving Christians to add this story to their shopping carts, I do think fans of apocalypse and zombie stories will find the story a fun read.  My rating for this one a 3.95 out of 5,

You can order The Book of Joseph through your local bookstore or via Amazon and Smashwords.  It is well worth checking out.

As always, if you want to leave a comment, please do so below.  Let me know your opinion  and feel free to share mine with your friends, family, and yes, even your enemies.  I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and via e-mail at dpitsiladis@gmail.com.

And remember… Why so serious?

DLP